Are you afraid of the big waves? Does the moon make you quiver? Can’t stand trees? Are you just afraid of everything? Well, you might have a phobia.

Phobia is an intense and persistent fear or certain situations, activities, things or people. Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorders. The study found that phobias were the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25. (source) Women tend to be twice as likely to suffer from a phobia compared to men. Alcoholics can be up to 10 times more likely to suffer from a phobia than those who are not alcoholics.

Phobias are largely under reported, probably because many phobia sufferers find ways to avoid the situations to which they are phobic. There are 435 known phobias. Below are just the common phobias.

acousticophobia – fear of noiseacrophobia or altophobia – fear of heightsaerophobia – fear of flyingagoraphobia – fear of open spacesagyrophobia – fear of crossing the streetsaichmophobia – fear of needles or pointed objectsanthropophobia – fear of people or societyarachnophobia – fear of spidersbatophobia – fear of being closed to high buildingsbatrachophobia – fear of amphibians like frogs, etc.brontophobia – fear of thunder and lightningclaustrophobia – fear of closed-in spacesclimacophobia – fear of stairs, climbingcoulrophobia – fear of clownscynophobia – fear of dogs or rabies ( I think I have this, ehehe!)demophobia – fear of crowdsdentophobia – fear of dentistsdromophobia – fear of crossing streetsentomophobia – fear of insectsgamophobia – fear of marriagegerascophobia – fear of growing oldhemophobia – fear of bloodkymophobia – fear of waveslachanophobia – fear of vegetableslockiophobia – fear of childbirthlygophobia – fear of darknessmonophobia – fear of solitude or being alonemusophobia – fear of micemysophobia – fear of germsnosocomephobia – fear of hospitalsobesophobia – fear of gaining weight ( I think all women have this phobia)ophidiophobia – fear of snakessciophobia sciaphobia – fear of shadowsselenophobia – fear of the moonpanaphobia – fear of everything

Symptoms of phobias often involve of having panic attack. If left untreated, it may worsen to a point in which a person’s life is seriously affected. If you have phobia, seek professional help.